Pak-flagged oil tanker becomes first to exit Hormuz, defying US's naval blockade

A Pakistan-flagged oil tanker, which entered the Persian Gulf over the weekend, has become the first vessel in days to sail out of the Strait of Hormuz, effectively defying a US-imposed naval blockade and underscoring the sharp drop in traffic through the crucial energy chokepoint.

The tanker Shalamar moved past Iran’s Larak Island and into the Gulf of Oman late Thursday, carrying roughly 450,000 barrels of crude loaded at the UAE’s Das Island, according to ship-tracking data. The Aframax vessel, only partially filled, is currently signalling Karachi as its destination, according to Bloomberg.

Ship movements through Hormuz have dwindled to just a handful daily since US and Israeli military action on Iran began on February 28. Under the current US blockade, vessels must secure clearance from both Washington and Tehran before transiting the route, a requirement that has sharply reduced flows.

While a few supertankers carrying non-Iranian crude managed to pass through last week, such crossings have remained rare. Against this backdrop, Shalamar’s relatively quick turnaround in the Gulf stands out as unusual, even as some Pakistani vessels appear to have limited approval from Iran.

Before the latest escalation, Iran had continued exporting about 1.7 million barrels per day in March. That flow has now largely halted as tensions persist and Tehran and Washington weigh fresh negotiations to stop the war, now in its seventh week, Bloomberg reported.

Shalamar had initially attempted to enter the Persian Gulf on April 12 but reversed course after US-Iran talks in Islamabad collapsed. It later completed the inbound journey to Das Island before heading back out following the US blockade announcement earlier this week.

Since the restrictions came into force, only a small number of ships have attempted outbound journeys, with several turning back mid-transit. US Central Command said 14 vessels had reversed course over a three-day period.

Despite the US naval blockade announced by Trump, who vowed to stop even a single vessel from accessing Iran’s ports, at least five Iran-linked ships – four tankers and a bulk carrier – transited the Strait of Hormuz on the first day, in open defiance. Notably, three of the tankers had previously been sanctioned by the US for trading in Iranian oil.

The blockade zone spans from Oman’s Ras al Hadd to the Iran-Pakistan maritime boundary, according to US military disclosures. A handful of ships are still attempting crossings, though traffic remains far below normal levels.

The Shalamar is operated by Pakistan Shipping Corp., according to maritime databases. The company has not publicly commented on the voyage, Bloomberg reported.

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